Three hacks to instantly transform any presentation

I’m a great fan of the Lifehacks website – a goldmine of productivity and lifestyle tips.  A life hack is a tip or trick that will helps get things done more efficiently and effectively.  Life hacks are often practical, sometimes funny and sometimes plain hair-raising!

Applying this philosophy, I wondered what are some presentation hacks we could use?  As so often working with leaders on their presentations these common barriers come up:

• Having to deliver dry, boring content
• Battling nerves
• Little or no time to prepare

So, here are some of my favourite presentation hacks.

Write out your key messages on a Post-it note.  Possibly only a couple will fit – this forces both clarity and prioritisation.

Struggling to remember your messages?  Rewrite them as sharp, short bumper stickers, which you are more likely to remember.  Bumper stickers give even boring content that much-needed oomph.

Here’s a structure hack I use often.  Think of three messages and three stories that go with your messages.  This structure is easy to remember for you the presenter and very memorable for your audience.

A bonus hack to tackle nerves and lack of time.  It’s the magic of practise.  Neen James, productivity guru, says: ‘Make time in time’.  So practise while you are driving, walking your dog or in the shower.

What are some presentation hacks you use?  Please share – I love hearing from you.